Situation: I wanted to buy a Surface Book 2, since I was able to find a buyer for my Surface Book with Performance Base and I was offered a really good price for the SB2. So, I went and ordered the replacement unit. I was terribly tired and did not check the order receipt.

Next day, I went to the shop to collect my shiny new Surface Book 2.

But I was confronted with a larger box than expected and it read „Surface Book 15-inch, 256 GB storage“.

I immediately checked the receipt and figured: Yes, I actually ordered the 15-inch variant. I did not notice since the 15-inch and the 13.5-inch variants differed not by price but by SSD-size (and I did not check this one). They were presented side-by-side online, and obviously, I was too tired to realize.

So, I had two options: Don’t accept the device or go with the bigger one having the smaller SSD. Very surprisingly(?), I went with the latter option and now I own a Surface Book 15-inch.

Well, no.

I don’t own it. I love it.

It immediately replaced my 2017 MacBook Pro 15.4-inch, which is on sale right now. And it replaced the 13.5-inch Surface Book with Performance Base, since the differences in size and weight are acceptable. It is – for now – accompanied by the 12.5-inch ThinkPad X260 and – for another two months – by an Apple iPad Pro 10.5 (which will be replaced by a Surface Go later this year).

If you wonder, why I love this device so much, here are some reasons:

Gorgeous keyboard. I mean, really gorgeous. On the older-MacBooks- and older-ThinkPads-Level. That gorgeous.

Battery time. 5 hrs of watching videos – around 50% of battery left. Several hours of writing and surfing, again with a modest battery drain. Compare this to a MacBook Pro 15.4 inch, whose battery is empty after 4 hours, regardless of what you do.

USB-A-ports. Not only USB-C/Thunderbold-ports.

Lightweight device, less than 2kg for a 15-inch device.

Versatility: You can use it as Laptop, as Tablet, as anything in between.

I don’t see why I should spend thousands of Euros for a new computer, when a used one would do almost the same job for a fraction of the price.

Well, ok, there are some moments where I decide differently, for example at the end of last year when I ordered a brand new MacBook Pro 15.4 inch. But this again has proven my opinion about new hardware usually not being worth the money you spend for it – I am actually quite unhappy with this device, as battery life is very subpar (around 4hrs, regardless of the work I throw on it) and the keyboard is so loud to touch upon. Not to speak of the adapter hell, since literally no accessory fits on the MacBook.

So, I decided, I needed something more long-lasting in regards to battery life. Something, making typing a pleasure again. And something smaller, since 15.4 inch are not really portable. And, finally, something cheaper – not only when buying it, but also while owning it. Something, where a power adapter and a cable won’t cost more than 100,– EUR. Something, where I could swap the internal SSD and upgrade the memory, if needed. Something, where perhaps LTE would be integrated.

Impossible? No way!

I looked at eBay and Amazon and checked some dozens of dealer-websites for offers, until I found it: A used Lenovo Thinkpad X260 in good condition, having a LTE-card, being equipped properly with a 256GB SSD and 16GB RAM, displaying the content in Full-HD and allowing to change the battery.

Small, portable. Perfect for working in the customer’s office or while sitting in the train. Nice companion to my iPad Pro 10.5 inch, way more versatile but not so light and easy to carry around.